SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATES DEBATE TONIGHT

Candidates for the Cape Girardeau Board of Education will discuss issues during a voters forum at 7 tonight in Glenn Auditorium of Dempster Hall at Southeast Missouri State University.

Six of the eight Cape Girardeau school board candidates have agreed to participate in the forum, co-sponsored by the League of Women Voters and Southeast Missouri State University political science department. Dr. Peter Bergerson, chairman of the political science department, will be moderator.

School board member William Bird is scheduled to debate issues with challengers Marty Clay, Debra Mitchell-Braxton, Sharon Mueller, Andrew Ostrowski and Tina Trickey. Incumbent Bob Blank and challenger Gary McIntyre will not attend the forum.

The forum is presented as a way to give voters additional information prior to the April 6 election.

The event generally draws low public attendance. However, current issues affecting the school district -- including progress on construction projects, financial issues and a proposal to redraw elementary school boundaries -- may draw a larger crowd.

"I'm sure the question of redistricting is going to come up and the second part of the school expansion," said LWV president Eileen Steinberg. "It just depends on what questions the audience brings."

Regardless of public participation, however, organizers said the forum will reach a mass audience. The university's mass communications department is going to video tape the event, which will be aired a number of times on public access channel 5, they said.

Cindie Jeter, LWV chairman of voter services, said she is often disappointed with attendance, because it is important for voters to be informed before they go to the polls.

Said Jeter: "These people will be making crucial decisions regarding our children's education here in Cape Girardeau. If voters go and mark whatever names they might like or people they might know, and these people start making decisions you disagree with, who do you have to blame but yourself?"

Candidates will be presented with a series of questions during the forum. Each will respond with timed answers giving their views of issues.